Business School
You say that some educators question Lou Gerstner’s motives in promoting school-to-work issues [“Heavy Hitters,” August/September]. Though I consider myself something of an intellectual-I appreciate intelligence and the love of learning for learning’s sake-I fail to see a problem with cranking out graduates ready-made for business. Graduates trained for business must have good reading, writing, and mathematical skills. They must be able to solve problems as well as analyze and evaluate data. Isn’t this what we teachers want our students to be able to do? If they also understand some of the intricacies of the business world, so much the better.
If both educators and businesses want the same “product,” what difference do Gerstner’s motives make?
Alan Bronstein
Central High School
Philadelphia
@#&*@#%&*!!
I read with interest the article “Supreme Indignity” [August/September]. It seems Cissy Lacks was fired for allowing students to use profanity, yet the district did not have a written anti-profanity policy. I don’t take issue with her legal challenge; it’s the profanity itself. I do not use it, and I do not like to hear it. I do not accept profanity in my classroom, and I do not need a dictate from the school district to tell me not to accept it.
William Grothus
Bettendorf, Iowa
Rock On
Just read your article capsulizing the decade in education [“The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly,” August/September]. Mrs. Krabappel, the Faculty, and Richard Daly? You guys rock!
Christopher Cantrell
Huntsville, Texas
Survival Techniques
Thank you for the fascinating article presenting an analysis of classroom practices in the United States, Germany, and Japan [“Candid Camera,” May/June]. For the past three years, I have taught foreign languages and geography in high school using the problem-solving techniques discussed in the article. As a result, my colleagues accused me of ignoring the curriculum, and students accused me of not teaching “right.” My principal accused me of “thinking I was smarter than other people.” I have done many difficult things in my life, but surviving the past three years is my crowning achievement.
Grace Stell
San Diego
Teacher Magazine welcomes the opinions and comments of its readers. Letters should be 300 words or fewer and may be edited for clarity and length. Articles for the “Comment” section fall under two general headings: Viewpoint and First Person. Essays should run approximately 1,000 to 1,750 words (four to five double-spaced pages) in length. All letters and submissions should include an address and phone number. Mail them to Teacher Magazine, 6935 Arlington Road, Suite 100, Bethesda, MD 20814. Letters also may be sent to tmletter@epe.org.
